John Slattery and Jon Hamm star in "Mad Men" in this handout photo taken on March 1, 2013.

Photographer: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC via Bloomberg

The AMC epic Mad Men is playing out its final season and many are sad to see it end. After all, it’s especially nostalgic in today’s new world of online and social marketing that is focused on content, inbound tactics and actual results. And really, who doesn’t love the casual and glorious era of martinis, big lunches and push-up bras — all encircled by an endless cloud of cigarette smoke?

But here’s the irony. The heavy mental lifting done by the real Mad Men of that era is alive and relevant in today’s content-driven reality.

John Slattery and Jon Hamm star in "Mad Men" in this handout photo taken on March 1, 2013.

Photographer: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC via Bloomberg

For example, William Bernbach, one of the founders of advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), created the now infamous Volkswagen “Think Small” campaign for the Beetle. And here’s his wisdom on facts:

“One of the problems is worship of research. We’re all concerned about the facts we get and not enough concerned about how provocative we make them.”

Next is Rosser Reeves. Often cited as the pioneer of TV advertising, he insisted that an advertisement or commercial should show off the value of a product, not the cleverness of a copywriter. His most famous ad was for Anacin, a headache medicine. The ad was considered grating and annoying by almost all viewers, but it was remarkably successful, tripling the product’s sales. In seven years, the 59-second commercial made more money than the movie Gone With The Wind had in a quarter-century. Here’s just one gem from Rosser…

“You must make the product interesting, not just make the ad different.

Now replace the word ad with content. Podcasts, white papers, case studies, webinars — you name it — if your content is not compelling, it really doesn’t matter what form it takes. So find that hook that creates intrigue. And make content that’s worth experiencing.

Finally, let’s learn more about writing from George Gribbin, who helped advertising agency Young & Rubicam stay successful for nearly a half century and said:

“A writer should be joyous, an optimist.”

Sure it’s a bit altruistic but also a nice, guiding thought. In the world of online content, I feel you must either be likable or controversial to get attention. But you do need a positive, motivational call-to-action message to be successful.

To conclude, let’s go back to Rosser, the most colorful of our real Mad Men who believed the true purpose of advertising was to sell. Here’s a paraphrased version of a classic quote:

“Let’s say your advertising isn’t working and sales are going down. Your company is the lifeblood for you and others. Now, what do you want from me? Fine writing, or do youwant to see the damn sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?”

Here’s where things get sticky on our journey. Content must sell? Yes. Content marketing is the intelligent way to sell. But it only works when it’s used carefully and integrated into some kind of lead generation system or capture program. Compelling content builds trust in your brand, which starts a nurturing conversation and eventually leads to a relationship, and, finally, a sale.

And I’m sure the legends of yesteryear would agree this holds true for content marketing today.

Paul Patzloff helps companies clarify and strengthen their messaging and content marketing strategies. As a creative director and copywriter, he has created sales, social and marketing solutions for Snapple, AT&T, Findlaw, The Sleep Number Bed, Xcel Energy and other leading brands. Patzloff has contributed to Forbes.com, and his first book on Kindle is "How to Improve Your Email Open Rates — A Primer on The Psychological Triggers of Email Subject Lines."